I’ve enjoyed all of this authors books but with this one, I just could not connect to anyone. Well I take that back ... maybe with Walt as he seemed like a really good husband! A really good twist towards the end that you won’t see coming.
I appreciate the ARC from Netgalley. Will look forward to the next by this author.

Caroline and Sela couldn’t be more different. She has a loving husband and three children, while Sela is divorced and the mother of one. Caroline was raised with loving parents, while a single mother raised Sela. Neither knew the other existed until Caroline found an email from a recent DNA test with the shocking message that she had a half sister. What she doesn’t know is that Sela, her half sister, is dying from a failing kidney. Caroline is her only hope.

Told from alternating points of view Caroline and Sela’s stories of agony, loneliness, anger, despair, depression, confusion are true to life. The bond expressed between mothers and their children will wring reader’s hearts. Mine was dripping with emotion before I turned the last page. Yours will too. You’ll also learn a lot of information about what it feels like to have a failing kidney, and how powerful it is to become a donor.

Highly recommended for Adults.

I received an advance reading copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

* Thanks to the author & publisher for the opportunity to read an ARC. All opinions & thoughts are my own *

Incredible story! So many twists & turns, and an ending that will leave you jaw on the floor. Well thought-out characters will keep you invested in this story and reading longer than you originally planned

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. Really enjoyed this story. Great character development. The author brought life to each character. An amazing ending. A strong ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Highly recommend.

I could give you A Million Reasons Why this didn’t work for me but I’d rather keep this review short and sweet.

A simple DNA test just for fun. Then the results came back. Caroline and her family are positively stunned by what they discover. Results show she has a half-sister that no one wants to acknowledge. But Caroline must know the truth and is determined to reach out.

Coincidentally, Sela had her own reasons for submitting a DNA test. One that should she find blood relatives may save her life. You see, Sela needs a kidney!

I’m all about suspending believability for a good read. But wow, this was just asking too much. As an RN maybe my medical knowledge worked against me but the behavior and actions of the transplant team and everyone else involved just put me over the edge.

I’ve enjoyed books by this author in the past and will once again be reaching for her next. Hoping this was just an exception to the rule.

A buddy read with Susanne that left us both disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press

An interesting story about two half sisters who find each other through a DNA match. This causes distressing consequences for the family. The sister who makes the initial contact is in 3rd stage renal failure and her best friend and ex-husband want her to contact her sister in order to ask for a kidney transplant since she has an unusual genetic disorder that makes her unlikely to obtain a kidney from someone who wasn’t related. The sisters meet and form a relationship. This causes additional family problems for Caroline the healthy sister. This story is about family dynamics, relationships, lost loves, family secrets and renal failure. I really enjoyed the story until the end which was pretty far fetched.

A MILLION REASONS WHY by Jessica Strawser is a heart-wrenching and compelling family drama with a unique take on the theme of family found by a DNA test. Caroline’s life is near-perfect. She has a strong and happy marriage, three great kids, a fulfilling career and a close relationship with her parents. Little does she know that her world will be upended by results from a mail-in DNA test kit that her husband gifted her and her parents for Christmas. She is stunned to receive a notification from the ancestry site that a woman claims they are half-sisters. The email sets off a chain of events that threaten to undo the bonds of this close family. For half-sister Sela, knowing she has a family member related by blood is even more critical. Sela has chronic kidney failure and will likely die without a transplant. Except for her two-year-old son, Brody, Sela is all alone after the death of her beloved mother and the breakdown of her marriage. Caroline could be the only suitable match that could save her life, but could she really ask a perfect stranger to donate a kidney? Against the wishes of her family, Caroline initiates contact with Sela and what follows is an extraordinary story of what it means to be family and how far someone would go to protect the ones they love. Filled with moral dilemmas and tough decisions, I could feel the intense emotions of the characters. As secrets are revealed, each character must make difficult choices with far-reaching consequences. I was totally engrossed in this story with its many provocative themes and unexpected twists. A MILLION REASONS WHY would make a great book club selection. I highly recommend this book and thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read an early copy.

This book gave me all the feels! Caroline and Sela's relationship unfolded so beautifully throughout the pages of this book. I can usually detect a twist, but not in this case; there were definitely some twists in this book that I didn't see coming.

Jessica Strawser did an amazing job of packing in so many big themes. I love the exploration of family, a sisterhood (chosen and through blood), motherhood, and forgiveness. The theme of marriage/relationship was also written about so well. I love how we get so much about each character and yet it all tied together into the bigger story. It's like I really knew these families.

Thank you #netgalley and #St.MartinsPress for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

If you love lots of family drama and secrets, this is the book for you! This story is told by half sisters Caroline and Sela. Sela knows about Caroline but Caroline has no idea she has a half sister. From decisions in the past to the present issues, this book takes the reader into their lives. I really enjoyed this book and the characters. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of the upcoming book by Jessica Strawser. I am a huge fan and have read all of her books. This does not disappoint. If you have read and loved her previous books you will love this as well. Started off a little slow for me but well worth sticking with it. It all starts with Caroline getting an email saying she may have a DNA match but she does not see how that is possible. She goes to speak to her parents and all the lies and secrets come out and explains so much that she could not understand in her life. Caroline has a half sister out there, her name is Sela. Are her intentions good or bad ? Or is she just reaching out in hopes that Caroline will be the one person who can actually save her life ? Great plot, good twists ! Very well written. As always, a stellar book by a fantastic author ! Enjoy !

This really well written story that makes you think about what you would do if you were in the position of the characters. Two sisters, who do not know the other exists, find themselves through DNA test. There are many layers to the story and it was interesting to read the alternating point of view of the two sisters as they move forward after initial email sent. This is the 2nd book I read by this author and I will continue to pick up her books because of her rated in the way she examines the choices are that are made in everyday life.

Thank you Net galley for an advanced copy of A MILLION REASONS WHY by Jessica Strawser in exchange for an honest review. And honestly, I've read her other three books, all were good, but this was the best. I learned so much about kidney disease when I read this-and already had personal experience (my sister donated a kidney to her son, successfully, it's been almost 5 years). It reminded the reader of how fragile life is, it can change fast, both for the better and for worse .It was the kind of book I really like, because you can't help but put yourself in the characters shoes and wonder, if given the same situation what you would do.

Loved this book! Great characters. Fascinating story. Good read. Current subject matter. Lots of DNA tests being submitted. Timely.

In A Million Reasons Why, Jessica Strawser explores the realm of organ donation, looking at how patients need to do their part in recruiting donors. In this story of two half-sisters who have never known about the other, Caroline and Sela must come to terms first with the circumstances by which they are related.

The DNA test that led Sela to Caroline was not for genealogy purposes but instead for finding a close match to Sela who needs a kidney as hers are failing. Can Caroline make such a gift to a sister she never knew about who is the result of her father’s extramarital affair?

Sela has more problems than just her kidneys: she gave birth to an extremely premature baby, which has traumatized her, and her husband has left her. Her mother, who was extremely close to Sela, has recently died, leaving Sela with little emotional support.

The Big Ask, The Big Give by the National Kidney Foundation is explained in the plot. This program helps patients learn how to advocate for themselves for finding a donor, and both Sela and her estranged spouse have attended as part of the plot.

This novel is perfect for readers who enjoy Jodi Picoult’s books.

Jessica Strawser is Editor-at-Large for Writer’s Digest and a contributing editor for Career Authors, and her work has appeared in The New York Times' Modern Love, and Publishers Weekly. This is her fourth book. Her debut novel Almost Missed You is my favorite.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting January 11, 2021.

I would like to thank St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective opinion.

I finished this book a few hours ago and I’m still thinking about it. <i>A Million Reasons Why</i> is one of those books that’s just going to stick with you; it’s so well written and the plot itself will resonate with so many readers. What if you were diagnosed with a terminal illness and needed a transplant? And at the same time, what if you knew you possibly had other siblings out there in the world, ones that had no idea you existed, but that could possibly save your life?

Caroline has the perfect life and parents, until a gift of one of those DNA test kits turns up a possible sibling match for the only child. Sela, has the opposite of the perfect life, with a terminal kidney disease, a divorce, a toddler to raise and the death of her mother still fresh in her thoughts. Sela sends an email to Caroline, just as an ice breaker, and soon the collision of their two worlds begins an cataclysmic explosion that extends well beyond the borders of the siblings.

Reminiscent of Jodi Picot’s <i>My Sisters Keeper</i> in both theme and perspectives, this novel is told by both Caroline and Sela. The reader also gets a firm grasp on the feelings and perspectives of the family members on both sides of the novel. Strawser’s writing is heartfelt, gut-punching and tells the story of what it’s like to be both a person going through a terminal illness and another grappling with the thought of finding a sibling and losing them within a short window.

Thank you to St Martin's Press and Net Galley for the eARC of A Million Reasons Why by Jessica Strawser.

Caroline has discovered that she has a half sister via a DNA Test Kit. Sela, the half sister, needs a kidney transplant. Will Caroline, who never knew Sela existed, agree? As Caroline comes to grips with her family's past and secrets that were kept, what will she do and how will her life be altered?

I found this book to be a very slow burn. I had difficulty reading it, Although the story itself is important and has an interesting premise; this one just wasn't for me.

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of A MILLION REASONS WHY by Jessica Strawser in exchange for my honest review.***

3.5 STARS

Two half-sisters, strangers, brought together by an online DNA test, discover each is the missing piece in her life she didn’t know she needed. Sela needs a kidney, but needs a sister even more. Caroline’s whole life turns upside down, her perfect family shattered, needs a sister just as much. Secrets spill out threatening relationships in ways neither could have imagined.

A MILLION REASONS WHY starts off slowly and took a while for me to get into. I liked both sisters, but found myself relating more to Sela because I STRONGLY disliked Caroline’s husband Walt and their relationship. He was too controlling for me and a bit of a bully. I rooted for Caroline go kick him to the curb. The level of dishonesty between Caroline’s parents and her father’s coldness toward even the idea of Sela, even after learning of her condition gave me chills. I wish Strawser had addressed some of those issues.

A MILLION REASONS WHY is a slow burn, increasing in intensity buildinh to a heart-thumping crescendo I never saw coming. Jodi Picoult blurbed the book and her fans will love it.

This is a thought-provoking and heart-tugging domestic drama. The story revolves around two half-sisters who have just discovered their relationship via a mail-in DNA test. Caroline has a dream life, with a solid marriage, three healthy children and a great job. Sela, on the other hand, is a struggling graphic artist, a single mom to a toddler and suffering from kidney disease that requires a transplant. When we meet them, Caroline is blissfully ignorant that she even has a sister, and Sela is hopeful that she will be able to survive until a kidney donor is found. Both women provide their points of view in this contemporary fiction that had me thinking long and hard about what it means to donate an organ and what it means to be the recipient. Since I was born with only one kidney and have had to be tested regularly to make sure that it’s still functioning okay, this book really touched me deeply. It is a powerful story about choices, acceptance and forgiveness. It also opens the door to learning about organ donation and even being an altruistic donor. I had never heard that term before, but the author did a good job of researching kidney disease and organ donation, presented by Sela’s caregiver Janie in such a way that the information flows seamlessly into the story. By no means are Caroline and Sela the only ones facing tough choices and forgiveness in this complex tale of family. The minor characters, too, must face their own demons and come to make a ultimate life-changing choice. I really enjoyed this book and totally looked forward to a new book by this author. It was different in that I didn’t really have any “aha” moments or times when I was amused. I was inspired to think about choices and consequences and unselfishness vs. selfishness. I highly recommend this book, especially for book clubs, because I am convinced that more than one group will be gathered around, discussing the dilemma of Caroline and Sela.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Sometimes when you're hurt you make bad decisions. You may lie, manipulate, or even just turn your head the other way. No matter how you handle the pain, it most likely affects the ones you love sooner or later. These mistakes you make will most likely be forgiven by others when explained but forgiving yourself is the hardest.

What would you do if a long lost sister you didn't know about showed up needing a kidney transplant ? To make things worse, your parents don't want you to have any relationship with your new sibling, much less donate your kidney to her.

I really enjoyed A Million Reasons Why. I read it in a 24 hour period. I loved Caroline and her tender heart. She wanted to make everyone happy but knew what the right thing to do was.

Thank you Netgalley and to the publisher for letting me read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

4-4.5 stars

I could give you a million reasons why I loved this book, but I’ll try to keep this short.

Caroline lives a life some may consider enviable, but her family is harboring secrets that leave you second guessing just how perfect her life really is. After being notified by a DNA website, Caroline discovers she has a half sister, Sela. As Caroline learns the truth of her family’s past and the lengths they went to keep both Caroline and Sela in the dark, she begins to question whether or not her life would have turned out differently. Sela, on the other hand, is grasping at straws to survive while also getting to know her new-found sister, and Caroline may be her only hope. But how can Sela ask someone who is virtually a stranger to do something so selfless for her while ultimately tearing Caroline’s family apart?

This was a great story and one that is not so far-fetched. I think what I loved most about it was that the ending was not as predictable as I thought it would be, but I was happy with how everything turned out. Highly recommend!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3706934930